Warriors Hybrid
by RavenWingDark
Summary: A twist on the typical Warriors story-Safari, a curious F1 Savannah Cat kitten (Half serval) joins SolarClan. But before he can learn to be a Warrior, he must first learn about the Clan through the eyes of a kit and apprentice. Join Safari, friends, Clanmates and foes in combatting possibly the biggest risk to the forest yet.
1. The Forest Over The Fence

**Stick with me you guys, the prologue (first 200 words or so) isn't written in warriors format, in fact, you can understand human speech but it was necessary to explain exactly what Safari is so I hope that I can be forgiven for my transgression.**

Extended summary: A twist on the typical Warriors story-Safari, a curious F1 Savannah Cat kitten (Half serval) joins SolarClan. But before he can learn to be a Warrior, he must first learn about the Clan through the eyes of a kit. Join Safari and his friends and Clanmates in combatting possibly the biggest risk to the forest yet.

 **CLANS:** SolarClan, MoorClan, NightClan, MistClan

LEADER: 

Snowstar: Gray-white main coon.

DEPUTY: 

Boldstripe: Toyger cat

QUEENS:

Mooncloud: White-furred, blue eyes, american short hair. (Ivykit and Orangekit)

Smalltail: Manx-mix, shorter haired tortoiseshell with amber eyes. (Adderkit)

WARRIORS:

Littlefoot: Cream tabby, copper eyes.

Banditpelt: White with brown van and face. (Rosepaw)

Eagleclaw: Golden-shaded tom with green eyes. (Blossompaw)

Redfern: Red and white speckled she-cat

Whitetail: White she-cat with gray paws and yellow eyes (Lightningpaw)

Oakfur: Senior brown tabby warrior (Badgerpaw)

APPRENTICES:

Blossompaw: Siamese appearance with longer fur.

Lightningpaw: Black with white paws and yellow eyes. A troubled cat.

Rosepaw: Reddish-orange with brown eyes.

Badgerpaw: Black cat with a gray stripe down his back.

Sparrowpaw: Kind, brown tabby.

ELDERS:

Gyrofoot: Blue smoke tortoiseshell tom.

Smokepelt: Gray she-cat, recently retired

MEDICINE CAT:

Silverleaf: Blue lynx point cat, deep blue eyes.

* * *

The kitten jumped up onto the countertop to retrieve the mouse toy. Instead, he was scooped up into a teenage girl's arms and was presented to her friend.

"He's a Savannah Cat," the girl explained, setting the squirming kitten down on her lap and adjusting her skirt.

"He doesn't like being held much does he?" The other girl asked hesitantly.

"None of them do. That's because he's exotic. Safari is an F1 Savannah which means his dad was a Serval and his mom was a house cat so he's 50% African Serval. You wouldn't believe what he cost my parents." She laughed, holding the kitten.

"Aren't you worried he'll scratch you?" Her friend asked retracting her hand from where she reached to pet him when he moved too quickly.

"A little but he's going to be declawed next week so after that I won't have to worry about his wild tendencies. But it's just a risk of having a hybrid, I guess." The girl shot her friend a self-important smile and opened her notebook to start reviewing for a group project. "You know, Safari's only five months old now. He already weighs six pounds. My exotic pet vet says he could grow to weigh twenty-five pounds."

Safari had finally had enough and nipped her hand, almost escaping her grasp but being grabbed again roughly at the last second.

"Aww, he hates to cuddle. Let's bring him outside." The girl attached a retractable leash to Safari's collar and hooked it around a peg in the garden.

"It's against the law to have a loose Savannah Cat because they tend to follow prey for miles and have trouble finding their way back. Plus if they start to get in with all the stray cats around here, they could carry on the Serval bloodline and make the strays even more of a nuisance." She said, closing the sliding glass door behind them, leaving Safari outside but tethered to his master's world.

* * *

 **Chapter 1: The Forest Over The Fence**

Safari romped around in the garden as far as the leash would allow him to go, twisting himself up in the thin string and chewing on flower stems out of spite. Suddenly, his large rounded black and white ears twitched as they heard an interesting sound. A bird had landed on the other side of his leash range, pecking at the ground. Safari unsheathed his claws with excitement and crept over as quietly as he could. He was only 5 feet away before the bird startled and took off. Instinctively following it, Safari crouched and leapt after the flushed sparrow, reaching out to grasp it with his forelegs.

Suddenly, he was at the end of his rope and as he felt his leash pull him back to the ground, his claws closed around the tail feathers of the bird. Safari landed on his side but bounced back into a standing position a moment later, back arched in agitation. He tried a few pulls against the collar but he couldn't get free.

"I had that bird!" He grunted, still struggling against it.

"That was an impressive leap, Kittypet." A rumbling voice came from the top of the tall fence surrounding the backyard.

Safari jumped in surprise, standing tall and fluffing his relatively short, striped tail. Sitting easily on the fence was the largest cat he could remember seeing. He looked to weigh at least 15 pounds and had broad shoulders and a dark amber coat. The cat looking down at him looked just like a Tiger.

"Who are you? Why are you trespassing on my territory?"

"This would be the Twoleg's territory, wouldn't it? Besides you look a little too young to have your own territory."

"Who are you?" Safari tried again.

"I'm a wild cat. My name is Boldstripe."

"Are you a tiger?" Safari narrowed his eyes to examine the cat above him.

"No, of course not." Boldstripe said, giving Safari a strange look. "But I noticed you trying to hunt. I can tell you don't know what you're doing but your jump was impressive, especially for a kit of your size.

"I'm not a kit! And my name is Safari."

"Do you like being a kittypet, Safari?" Boldstripe changed the subject suddenly.

"Do I like being kept inside or kept on a rope?" Safari asked, baffled. "Why would I? I want to hunt and I want to play with other cats!"

Boldstripe seemed mildly surprised by the ease of his answer and after looking cautiously around the garden, he leapt down and approached Safari. Safari was just over half Boldstripe's size. The older cat was bulkier, more muscular but had a shorter build while Safari had long, lean legs and neck.

"And what about a warm nest? And shelter when it turns cold? Constant feedings?" The older cat pressed.

Safari felt his confusion and excitement conflict inside him. What was this strange cat really asking? "The luxuries I have here aren't worth my freedom."

Something changed in the striped cat's eyes. "Then come live with us. In SolarClan. We are a group of cats who live and fight by each other's side united by our freedoms. We have no Twolegs or leashes to bind us but in return we suffer hunger and drought and fight with our Clans to protect our young. Do you still think it would be worth it to a cat like you?"

Safari's tail twitched back and forth in excitement. "Yes. I'll come."

—

It took several minutes of Boldstripe pulling and tugging Safari's collar back and forth before his collar fell uselessly to the ground.

"Come on, we must leave now before your Twoleg returns." Boldstripe prepared himself for a moment before leaping straight up and hoisting himself onto the brick fence four feet above him. Safari's ears twitched nervously. He hadn't tried jumping this high before. Boldstripe crouched down, ready to help him. Safari bunched his muscles, taking several seconds to prepare himself before jumping straight into the air, stretching his body out to full length. Just as he saw over the fence, he felt Boldstripe's teeth closing around his scruff and steadying him on the fence.

"Let's get out of here." He grunted, hopping down on the other side. Safari followed suit and followed the quick, dark tabby into the forest.

Several minutes later, Safari had found his stride. He couldn't match Boldstripe's speed but he was always able to keep him safely in sight as he ran by hopping as the tall grass in this part of the forest touched all the way to the tops of his ears. Finally, the grass height lowered to about mid-leg for him and the terrain became more craggy and they began an increasing incline through the ever-dense forest.

Then Boldstripe slowed to a trot. Up ahead was a plateau of some sort, only about three feet tall. "This is our camp. The others will probably all come out of their dens when they smell the kitty pet on you but it's alright. I've had my eye on you for a moon now and I've cleared it with Snowstar, he's more or less on board with having you join us.

"Snowstar?" Safari asked, hopping onto the soft stone plateau and following Boldstripe through a small gap in the bramble.

"Our leader."

To his surprise, the bramble bushes were relatively thin and he was now standing before a community. Several shelters lay across the mossy, grassy stone. Thick bushes that seem to be hollowed out, a large wooden crate turned on its side, a rocky alcove at the tallest point on the plateau, an ancient looking dead tree that had ingrown onto the huge stone slab and had been hollowed out, whether by cats or natural causes, Safari could only guess. In the center was a pile of mice and voles and birds and other small animals he didn't recognize. And there were cats everywhere. Cats or all shapes, sizes and colors. Looking at him with curiosity, confusion, apprehension or even aggression. A golden brown tom was the first to approach Safari.

"What's a kittypet doing in our camp?" A cat yowled.

"Kittypet, how did you get here?" The cat leaned in close to Safari's lean snout.

"Relax, Eagleclaw, I knew he was coming." A cat with long gray-white fur jumped down from the alcove and padded over to them. When he was close to Safari, he sniffed curiously. "I've seen a lot of kitty pets in my days. And he doesn't look like he was cut out for that life." He turned to Safari. "I'm the SolarClan leader, Snowstar. If you do well, you will be made an official member of our clan. My deputy, Boldstripe has demonstrated a lot of faith in you so I've decided to let you try your life here."

Safari wasn't sure what to think. A part of him protested at how fast his life was changing. But at the same time his paws still tingled with the exhilaration of being able to run without worry of hitting the end of a rope or being able to play without worry of being grabbed.

"Safari, this life of a warrior is not an easy one. We fight hard against other cats to defend our territory. We must hunt for every bit of meat and provide for our elders and queens first. We must uphold our warrior code of standards. Are you willing to comply to such things?" Snowstar rumbled. The growing crowd of cats around them was starting to intimidate him. He couldn't remember ever seeing more than two or three cats at any given time.

"I understand and I want to take part in this clan." Safari lashed his tail back and forth in excitement. Cats around him murmured.

"How old are you, Safari?" Snowstar meowed.

"Five months."

"I see. Well then you will not begin learning about clan life from an apprentice's perspective but rather a kits."

"What do you—"

"Prove yourself to us, Kittypet." Snowstar turned around and jumped on the rock ledge a few feet above the cat's heads.

"May all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather below the rock ledge. Today a new cat joins SolarClan. Safari, you are willing to live as a Clan cat and learn our ways?"

"Yes, of course." Safari tried hard to push down his excitement but he was practically bouncing on his toes.

"Then you will be apprenticed in ten suns with Adderkit. Until that point I rename you. Safari, for your spotted golden coat that reminds me of the legends of LeopardClan roaming these sunny forests, you will be known as Sunkit. Smalltail, please look after him as you do Adderkit."

Sunkit stood stunned. He had a new name. The last evidence of housecat had been lost in this forest. Surprisingly, a few voices rose out of the crowd, quietly and only politely but they still cheered. "Sunkit, Sunkit!"

After the ceremony a she-cat with short tortoiseshell fur and a short tail came and found him. Sunkit guessed she was Smalltail before she introduced herself. Then she noticed how overwhelmed he looked by the stares of the Clan cats and ushered him into a thick heather whose bottom branches had been broken off to make a den. Inside was lined with soft moss.

"This is SolarClan's nursery, Sunkit. You'll be staying here with us for the next quarter-moon or so." Smalltail said warmly. A kit a little bigger than himself with short black and white fur bounded in after her.

"Mom! He's really gonna stay with us? I don't want another kit hogging the moss!" The cat's yellow eyes opened in surprise when he saw Sunkit standing there.

Smalltail cuffed his ear. "Adderkit don't be rude."

"Sorry. I guess. My name's Adderkit." He looked back at his mother, who gave him a meaningful glance. "And it's nice to meet you." He said in an overly-rehearsed tone.

"You too." Sunkit put it shyly.

"Sunkit? You must have had a busy day. Would you like to take a nap?" Smalltail asked gently.

"I'm not tired at all." Sunkit shook his head enthusiastically.

Adderkit watched him carefully. "Want to go bother the apprentices?"

"Adderkit, no!"

Sunkit blinked his wide green eyes. "Sure."

"We'll be back later!" Adderkit shouted, nudging Sunkit out the nursery entrance. Outside in the clearing, cats were still milling around but most were laying in the shade sharing prey. "It's sunhigh so no one's active right now but usually there are patrols coming and going and cats are refilling the fresh-kill pile." Adderkit explained, gesturing to the stack of mice and birds. The realization that these cats caught food entirely for themselves finally hit him. If they were to fail, they would starve.

"Sunkit, don't be such a scatterbrain! Come on!" Sunkit followed the larger kit into a thick bracken. The must of several young cats wafted from the bush. Three cats lay inside, getting away from the stifling heat.

"Hey guys, it's Sunkit!" A black cat with a gray dorsal stripe cheered. "I'm Badgerpaw. In two moons I'll be Badgerpelt. No surprise there."

A medium-furred white cat with a gray face and tail tip and deep blue eyes purred. "Badgerpaw you have to stop telling cats that."

"Why are cat's names changed?" Sunkit spoke up, then blushed and looked away in embarrassment.

A red-orange she-cat with brown eyes responded. "Typical kittypet—doesn't know anything about Clan life .Kits have 'kit' in their name. Sunkit, when you become an apprentice, you'll become Sunpaw. Just like we became Rosepaw, Badgerpaw, Sparrowpaw and Blossompaw. Then after four or five moons, you receive your warrior name. Snowstar picks it for you depending on your personality or," Rosepaw looked pointedly at Badgerpaw, "your appearance."

Another cat, larger than the others but not muscled like a grown cat entered the den. He had bright yellow eyes and was entirely black except for white paws and a small spot on his chest. He slowly assessed the cats in the den, whiskers twitching. "Silverleaf is looking forward to meet you, Sunkit. Adderkit, will you take him?"

"Sure. Come on, Sunkit."

Sunkit waited until they were out of the den before whispering to Adderkit. "Who is that?""

"That's Lightningpaw. He's almost a warrior now. He's actually my older brother."

"What, really?"

"Yeah but having being siblings doesn't make a big difference in the Clans unless you're littermates. Anyway, here's the Medicine Den." Adderkit led Sunkit into the hollowed out tree. A pretty white she-cat with gray striped legs and face batted some leaves across the floor. She looked up and walked up to Adderkit and Sunkit. In seconds, she sniffed Sunkit and appraised him.

"Snowstar said you were five moons?"

"Yes."

"You're almost as big as Adderkit and he's nearly a moon older. Your long legs, you'll make a fast hunter. Probably a good jumper too. Welcome to SolarClan."

* * *

 **Please review! Who is your favorite character?**


	2. Cats of the Clans

**Fifteen views on that last chapter but that's no problem, there are a lot of good warrior stories out there so I'm gonna have to work hard to get this one to stand out. Please enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter Two: Cats of the Clan

Sunkit woke up, right ear oscillating. This was his seventh night in the Clan and he was growing accustomed to playing with Ivykit and Orangekit, his two younger denmates, only three moons old, and sharing fresh-kill with Adderkit.

"Hey, Adderkit." Sunkit hissed, poking the black and white cat's side. "Adderkit, wake up!" The kit flailed his paw blindly at Sunkit's face. "Sleepy mousebrain." Sunkit muttered, standing back up and crouching towards the entrance.

Slowly placing one paw in front of another, he crept into the stone clearing. No one was there. Placing an ear to the ground, Sunkit felt strengthening vibrations. Something more than the quiet echo of sleeping cats.

Banditpelt stood alert at the camp entrance. Presumably he sensed something too. He raised his head up sniffing the air and lashing his tail. Sunkit approached.

"Do you hear something too?" He whispered.

"Sunkit! Get back inside!" He opened his mouth to hiss.

"Banditpelt! What's going on?" Sunkit hissed back.

"Nevermind. I smell something. Alert Snowstar! Go!" The van cat shoved the kit towards the leader's den.

Sunkit took the momentum, running towards the ledge where Snowstar slept but before he could make the distance across camp, he felt jaws wrap around his scruff and shake him. He let out a surprised hiss.

"Sunkit!" Banditpelt yelled from where he was pinned under a large white cat.

Sounds of waking cats came from across the clearing as the cat Sunkit recognized as Eagleclaw dashed into the nursery and a smaller cream tabby ran into the apprentice den to wake them up.

Eagleclaw returned from the nursery looking apprehensive. He'd realized Sunkit was missing. Sunkit scrabbled to get footing against the gray tom's grip. Four or five attacking cats joined the fray, two of which were immediately taken down by Snowstar and Boldstripe.

"Let go of me!" Sunkit growled, trying to pull away from the older cat. Unfortunately, his lean body was no contest against the seasoned muscle of the experienced warrior and his struggles got weaker.

"Eagleclaw! Get Sunkit!" Banditpelt yelled from where he was struggling.

Eagleclaw's eyes swept across the clearing and found the struggling kit. The sandy colored cat out-sized even the gray tom and latched onto his throat. The tom tightened his grip on Sunkit before slowly loosening his grip as he lost air, dropping the shaken Savannah Cat on the ground, where he tried to stand up but dizzily dropped back on his rear. Eagleclaw scooped him up and ran him across the clearing and dropped him in front of the medicine den. Silverleaf was there in a moment, pushing him further into the den with her furry tail.

"Why were you out there? They didn't take you from the nursery, did they?" She demanded fiercely.

"Uh," Sunkit rasped, trying to gather his scrambled thoughts, "no, I heard something outside and went to check it out. Then some cats attacked me and Banditpelt. Is he alright? We need to help them!"

Silverleaf pushed Sunkit down. "Warriors fight, kits get in the way. Just think about what happened! Banditpelt and Eagleclaw had to save you."

Sunkit didn't know what to say. Silverleaf finished blending herbs and applied some green poultice on the teethmarks on his scruff. "You'll be fine. It sounds like the battle is almost over. Snowstar looks like he's driving the NightClan cats away. Everyone is going to be fine. Now come here and mix these herbs together. We'll need this for everyone's wounds."

—

Sunkit ended up being awful with mixing herbs. Even with the two types he had been given, he managed to mess up the poultice so Silverleaf pushed him into the corner of the den while she mixed the herbs herself. Sunkit hung his tail guiltily. So far, he was more of a burden than a helpful member of SolarClan.

Finally, the victorious yowl of SolarClan cats sounded as they scared away the last of the attacking cats. A few minutes later, injured cats began to enter the Medicine Den and Sunkit, sore from his first enemy cat encounter, slipped out while Silverleaf was busy tending to Lightningpaw's torn ear.

The camp was a mess, fresh-kill strewn about with no respect for the lives they gave, moss and fur and blood littering the stone floor of the camp and cats cleaning various degrees of injuries. Sunkit ran for the nursery, where Smalltail, Mooncloud, Adderkit, Orangekit and Ivykit were all safe inside.

"Sunkit! You're alright!" Mewed Smalltail, sweeping him towards her with her paw and licking him. "I was worried something had happened to you!"

Mooncloud quieted her kits by pulling them closer to her belly with her tail. "The fight's over. Everybody's safe now."

"Did one of those mean cats grab ya, Sunkit?" Adderkit asked, prodding him in the side.

Sunkit hissed as Smalltail's rough tongue passed over the bite marks on his scruff. Smalltail meowed worriedly.

"I heard something outside and you wouldn't wake up so I went out to see if anything happened and these giant cats came and attacked Banditpelt and me!"

Smalltail looked ready to scold him when the cream tabby about Smalltail's size he'd seen fight earlier pushed his way into the nursery.

Smalltail blinked and went to touch noses with the tabby. "Littlefoot, are you alright?"

"Nothing to worry about, just a little fur I'll be missing come leaf-bare." He mewed easily. "Eagleclaw was worried about you but I'm glad to see everyone seems to be okay. Including our little warrior kit." Littlefoot gave a critical look to Sunkit, who had the decency to look ashamed.

"Who attacked? It didn't smell like the Clans." Mooncloud spoke up.

"It wasn't. It was a group of five or six rogues that have been roaming the Twolegplace recently. The toms thought that SolarClan would be easy territory but I don't think they'll be showing their flea-bitten pelts around here for a while." Littlefoot ran his tongue over a shallow cut on his front leg. "Oh and I think Snowstar is preparing to call a clan meeting about how Lightningpaw did tonight."

Smalltail's eyes shone with pride, ushering Sunkit and Adderkit out into the camp where Snowstar was climbing nimbly up the rocks.

"W-what's going on?" Sunkit asked but Smalltail didn't have time to respond.

"All cats old enough to catch their own fresh-kill gather under the Highrocks!" Snowstar waited patiently for the freshly treated cats to filter out of their dens and come to sit under the rocks.

"Every cat fought well today against the rogues that attacked and bravely chasing them off SolarClan territory."  
"Shaking in their mangey skins!" Badgerpaw added.

"But someone's battle skills shone through for me tonight. Lightningpaw, if you would please join me on the Highrocks…"

Lightningpaw, cobwebs stuck to his ear passed by Sunkit, Adderkit and Smalltail, the queen giving the mussed fur a few quick licks as he passed.

"Lightningpaw, there is not a cat in the Clan who can doubt your readiness to become a warrior. You have fought bravely in every battle you have fought in."

"Thank you, Snowstar."

"Do you, Lightningpaw swear to uphold all of which the warrior code holds?"  
"I do."

"Then from now on, you will be known as Lightningstorm for the storm you were born in as well as the fierceness of your strikes." Snowstar touched Lightningstorm's forehead with his nose and the black and white cat licked his shoulder respectfully.

"Lightningstorm! Lightningstorm! Lightningstorm!" The cheering was much louder than the cheers for Sunkit but he found himself not caring at all as he yowled the new warrior's name with the others. Lightningstorm dipped his head towards his fellow clanmates, touched noses with Eagleclaw and padded over the entrance to begin his silent vigil until the sun rose once again.

Slowly, everyone padded off to their dens to rest.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading so far!**


	3. In the Paws of StarClan

**Here's the next chapter!**

* * *

Sunkit woke up very stiff and sore the next day and although Adderkit wanted to play, he just wriggled closer to Smalltail until she shushed her son.

That didn't do much to stop him, however. "Come on Spotty-pelt! Lazy mouse!" He goaded.

"Adderkit, a rogue hurt Sunkit yesterday, you two can't play today! Go and pick up something from Silverleaf for him."

Adderkit grumbled but left and came back with some comfrey to spread on his wounds.

"Thanks, Adderkit." Smalltail purred accepting the leaves and chewing them to apply them to Sunkit's wound. "You can go and play with Orangekit and Ivykit if you like. Mooncloud brought them outside."

Adderkit huffed. "No thanks." He said, settling down next to Sunkit for a nap. To his credit, he lasted fifteen minutes before jumping up and going to play with the other kits.

It was three suns later when Sunkit was at full health again (and Adderkit had more energy than ever) that Smalltail swept up her kit and foster kit and ordered them to groom themselves.

"Are we becoming apprentices today?" Sunkit asked, ears pricked up in excitement.

When Smalltail did not respond, Adderkit twitched his whiskers in excitement. "We are! We're gonna be apprentices!"

Ivykit and Orangekit mewled complaints to their resting mother.

"Don't worry, Redfern is moving to the nursery soon." Mooncloud purred.

"There are gonna be more kits? Awesome!" Adderkit cheered.

Eagleclaw appeared in the nursery entrance with a smile on his face. "It's time."

The cats filed out of the nursery for the last time as the now-familiar yowl of Snowstar summoned the cats to the Highrocks.

"By naming apprentices, we ensure SolarClan's strength for generations to come. Adderkit, Sunkit, you will be known, from now until the day you are given true warrior names, as Adderpaw and Sunpaw. Littlefoot, you have upheld the warrior code well since your own warrior ceremony last leaf-fall and now you too are ready to become a mentor. You will show young Adderpaw the ways of the warrior." Adderpaw and Littlefoot touched noses and Snowstar continued.

"It is the duty of a mentor to teach our code and customs to the cats that will take over the Clan seasons and seasons in the future. Boldstripe, for this reason, you will mentor Sunpaw. Pass on your wisdom and your strength." Sunpaw shakily walked over to his new mentor and reached up to touch noses with the biggest cat in the clan. The tiger-cat rumbled a purr.

"Adderpaw! Sunpaw! Adderpaw! Sunpaw!" This time, almost all cats of the clan cheered Sunpaw's name. At some point in the half moon that he had been with SolarClan, he had endeared himself to many of the wild cats. The exceptions were Smokepelt, the recently retired elder (mother to Smalltail, Littlefoot and Banditpelt) and Oakfur, the brown tabby cat.

"Come on, Sunpaw, let's make our nests in the apprentice's den!" Adderpaw suggested after cats had finished their mews of congratulations.

"Coming!" Sunpaw said, bounding after his friend. He was excited to finally be a contributing member of the clan.

After making their new mossy nests near Badgerpaw and Rosepaw, the two new apprentices headed back outside to share a piece of fresh-kill.

"I can't believe you're getting mentored by Boldstripe!" Adderpaw purred, taking a bite out of the rabbit. "I'm sure he'll be tough but he's a great warrior!"

"How about you? I've heard Littlefoot is the best young warrior in the Clan!" Sunpaw purred happily to his friend.

"It suits you-getting Boldstripe," Smokepelt said. Sunpaw was instantly on guard by the grumpy old she-cat. He couldn't recall her ever saying anything complimentary. Sunpaw almost didn't want to ask.

"What do you mean?" He finally relented.

Smokepelt took his question as an invitation and began grooming her scruffy gray fur.

"Well you must know that Boldstripe was a kittypet not five Greenleafs ago." Smokepelt explained easily. Sunpaw felt shock run through his chest that the great Boldstripe, trusted deputy to Snowstar had been in his position many seasons ago. Oblivious to his thoughts, Smokepelt continued. "One kittypet trains another. Not as if he's not fed or protected SolarClan but I'm sorry for the kits. They won't be full blooded Clan cats either, you know. It is a difficult thing when your Clanmates where born faster and stronger."

Sunpaw sat still, shocked that Boldstripe himself had been in his position many seasons ago. Quickly, the feeling of camaraderie passed as his ears heat up in anger. He was born a kittypet but now he was training to be a clan warrior. Most of the cats were kind to him now, despite their original concerns, which just made it harder to hear the elder queen's harsh words. Adderpaw's face looked carefully blank but his tail flicked in annoyance as Smokepelt continued toward her mate, Gyrofoot.

"Remind me to give her damp moss when we clean their den. Don't listen to that old bag of bones, Sunpaw, I can barely smell your kittypet stench anymore. To any cat not paying close attention, you'd smell just as much like a SolarClan as the rest of us."

"Thanks, Adderpaw." Sunpaw said, but his appetite was gone. He was again reminded of the mistrust of him and the fact that if Snowstar felt so compelled, he would be expelled from the Clan without argument. After tasting fresh-kill and playing in the woods with Smalltail and Adderpaw, he wasn't sure he could go back to a life with his housefolk. Still he hadn't been trained to hunt and his chances of surviving as a loner were slim.

* * *

Blossompaw, the oldest apprentice in SolarClan shook Sunpaw and Adderpaw awake. "Boldstripe and Littlefoot are looking for you two." She mewed, blinking her bright blue eyes at the sleepy Savannah Cat.

"Oh! Thanks, Blossompaw!" Sunpaw said, jumping up, licking his ruffled chest fur and bounding out of the den with Adderpaw. The two striped warriors waited for them in the clearing, greeting them with a touch of noses. It was their first day as apprentices. Sunpaw felt strength surge through his paws. Today was the first day he could contribute to the Clan that had adopted him.

"Good morning, Adderpaw, Sunpaw." Boldstripe rumbled. "Usually the apprentice's first day in reserved for visiting the borders but we're short on warriors since we're patrolling our back-borders for those rouges. Instead, we'll go over battle techniques and then join an evening patrol to the MistClan border."

Sunpaw and Adderpaw exchanged excited glances. The two older tabbies led the new apprentices to the training hollow and demonstrated a few basic battle moves on each other. Even play-fighting, slowly and with sheathed claws, the fight through chills to Sunpaw's pelt. He could only imagine what these two powerful warriors were like locked in combat against NightClan cats.

Boldstripe batted a heavy paw to the side of Littlefoot's head. Littlefoot retaliated by stepping away from the strike to lessen the impact and catching his paw in his mouth, pulling the huge cat off balance. Boldstripe stretched out his free front paw and set it on Littlefoot's front paw, pushing his leg off balance. They both rolled onto the ground and in a moment, Boldstripe flipped over and immobilized Littlefoot onto the ground.

It was quiet for a moment before Boldstripe purred loudly. "Adderpaw, your mentor is very skilled. You'll learn a lot from him." Littlefoot led Adderpaw across the clearing and started explaining a few moves to him.

Boldstripe settled onto his haunches. "I will teach you a few moves today too. Listen to what I saw and watch carefully, I don't want to repeat myself."

* * *

Sunpaw and Adderpaw sat sharing a shrew at sunhigh.

"Everything's sore!" Adderpaw mewed, "I'm more than half his size and I was still being flipped onto my back all the time!"  
"Boldstripe didn't use any attacks against me," Sunpaw mewed. "He just showed me how to use them."

"Lucky!" Adderpaw scoffed. Sunpaw didn't really feel lucky, but he gave his friend a smug look and curled up tiredly next to his friend.

"Wake me up when it's time for the patrol."

* * *

 **Thanks for reading and please review!**


	4. Border Patrol

_Chapter Four: Border Patrol_

* * *

Before he knew it, it was dusk. Sunpaw shook her pelt, ruffling it in the air. The cats on waiting to go on the patrol had started to group up in the entrance of the camp.

Whitetail, Oakfur, Littlefoot, Boldstripe and Badgerpaw were waiting for the two new apprentices.

"Let's go!" Yelped Sunpaw to his sleeping friend. For once, his friend woke up quickly and they ran to the gathering patrol.

Sunpaw licked his lips mournfully at the fresh-kill pile as they left—the shrew that Adderpaw and he had shared hadn't been enough.

"Don't fall behind, Sunpaw." Boldstripe warned from the head of the patrol.

* * *

After the Clan cats had padded a long way Boldstripe stopped to look at the new apprentices. "What do you smell?"

Sunpaw inhaled sharply, tasting the air. He was confused by Boldstripe's query. _What am I missing?_ He thought desperately. He could smell the forest and each district scent of the cats on patrol but not a whiff of anything else. Beside him, Adderpaw bristled.

"Other cats!" He hissed, his body tensing to either fight or run.

"Good, Adderpaw but you can lower your hackles, we are on the edge of MistClan border. The river that flows through the forest separates our territories. For the past many moons, our standing with MistClan has been shaky. They believe they should own the land until the stream that runs further further through SolarClan while we think we should hunt on the other side of the river where the trees grow thick."

The cats padded along further across the bank. Boldstripe led the patrol quickly as the sun continued to sink beyond the mountains in the distance. Each territory was large, as they had been blessed by StarClan, and they had a lot of ground to cover if they were going to patrol the entirety of the border. This was a tradition for new apprentices, Littlefoot explained.

The river they were following suddenly fanned out like veins, tiny streams only a few mouse-lengths deep in most areas. The small streams split into two directions and joined back together a while later, creating a circle of untouched land. Looking closely with his keen eyes, Sunpaw noticed a large molted gray rock on the island, standing above the flat grass.

"That's Great-pile. A rock pile that doesn't lose a stone, even in the harshest storms. We all come here for the Gathering where the moon is round and bright." Badgerpaw mewed.

Sunpaw looked excitedly at the senior apprentice. "All the Clans meet here?"

"Yes, SolarClan, NightClan, MoorClan and even MistClan meet here at the Moon-Marsh. Doesn't the island look just like the full moon?" Badgerpaw explained, eyes wide in wonder.

Sunpaw didn't think the circle was very special but he kept quiet, until a new question came to him just as the Moon-Marsh was falling from view.

"Don't the cats get in fights while they're all in one place?"

It was Adderpaw who answered. "We can't—StarClan sends clouds to cover the moon if we've upset them and the Gathering is over!"

Sunpaw's whiskers twitched. "But StarClan doesn't have power over the clouds, right?" He asked tentatively.

"They do—they help fill the forests with prey and send storms and watch over us from Starpelt." Littlefoot meowed.

Sunpaw shook his head confusedly. "But surely dead cats—"

"Kittypet! Watch your words!" Oakfur turned around to snarl. Sunpaw immediately ducked his head, ears low. He hadn't meant to offend his adoptive Clanmates, he simply didn't understand. He looked up at he stars above his nose.

 _Surely each star cannot be a fallen Clan warrior?_ He thought incredulously.

* * *

Sunpaw's paw pads began to ache as they trotted along the NightClan border, even though they had just rested. Every so often one of the warriors would lift a leg to scent-mark SolarClan's territory.

Boldstripe had warned them that the NightClan cats were most active around this time, where the sun had sunk and its colors hung faded on the darkening clouds. They stalked night prey like hedgehogs, opossums, rabbit-rats, frogs geckos and even owls if they were hungry enough. The patrol continued and the scene of NightClan faded. They were on the town's border—or the Twolegplace, as his Clan called it. The rest of the border was nearby Twoleg settlements. "We don't hunt in the flat Twoleg grass between their place in the forest. There's no place for us to hide. Come on we can finish before moonhigh if we hurry." Littlefoot explained.

* * *

The following day, they were out again with Adderpaw and Littlefoot, making their way through the high grass. They had explained that prey was bolder among the sticky-tall grass, for for a third sun apprentice to learn to stalk and hunt prey. Sunpaw wasn't so sure—his curious long ears just barely poked out from the top of the grass. Littlefoot was up to his chest but nearly unhindered was Boldstripe, the stalks only just licked his belly.

Sitting up on his backlegs, Sunpaw saw an expanse of shrubs as the long grass became patchy and trodden on by forest creatures, just low enough that he could see Adderpaw's black tail ahead of him.

Boldstripe looked towards his spotted apprentice. "Do you remember the stalking technique I showed you?" Sunpaw nodded enthusiastically.

"Practice then. Careful not to step on the grass-stalk stems, they're much drier than forest grass and will make cracking sounds. Move low to the ground."

Sunpaw practiced his stalk, creeping forward a few tail-lengths.

"Don't be tempted to put so much weight on your ranches. If you startle a mouse or vole you still may be able to catch it by being light on your feet."

Sunpaw nodded again and shifted his weight when his ears suddenly perked, twitching back and forth.

Boldstripe was immediately alert, looking around the low-trees and scrub.

"Did you scent something?" Littlefoot asked, taking a doubtful taste of the air.

Sunpaw didn't answer immediately. A strange sound reverberated in his thick ear-fluff. He couldn't see or scent anything strange and neither could the cats around him. The slow, repeated sound grew louder but it was as if it was muffled by kit fluff.

"I hear posts but they are far away so they must be very heavy." Sunpaw said, aware of his own fear-scent.

Littlefoot finally caught the sound too and twitched his tail nervously. Adderpaw looked around confused.

Ten fox-lengths away, a great lowered head appeared along with a strong, huge body. Sunpaw's eyes widened and his legs shook as the long-faced beast looked up from the grass with its far apart eyes, flicking it's rabbit-like ears.

"W-what's on it's head?" Adderpaw whimpered, finally funded his voice. On it's sleek head were giant brown claws that grew like a tree's tangled branches. Sunpaw's full height would only reach the creature's foreleg. A bile-like urge crept up his throat to run the other way and not look back.

Boldstripe nudged him gently. "We'll be safe, Sunpaw. That creature is a deer. Deer toms have claws coming out of their heads since they don't have proper paws. They don't hurt cats unless they're scared. They are the only animals to come and go through Clan territory undisturbed. Come, let's find another route."

* * *

Sunpaw woke up at Sunhigh the next day. He stretched leisurely, noting he was the last apprentice in the den, the others must have been pulled out for training. Unfortunately, SUnpaw was to care for the elders today because he'd been to rattled from the deer to catch any prey.

After changing the moss for the elders, he set off to the medicine den.

"Silverleaf, do you have some, uh, mouse bile I could have? Gyrofoot says it helps get rid of fleas." He stopped in his tracks in surprise when he saw Silverleaf looking above his head blankly, jaw slack and fur raised in terror.

Instantly, fear shot through Sunpaw's paws. If something spooked a seasoned Clan cat, he didn't want to face it. "Silverleaf, what is it?" The white and gray she-cat gave no response. Sunpaw nosed her side fearfully. "Silverleaf?"

Instantly, she was on top of him, pinning him to the ground with unseated claws. It was only when Sunpaw yelped that her eyes cleared and she jumped off him.

"Their greatest prey." Silverleaf gasped, legs stiffened. Her fear scent was coming off in waves.

"Their greatest…?" Sunpaw broke off in confusion but the pretty medicine cat had bounded out of the hollow before he could finish.

"Silverleaf?" Sunpaw called uncertainly, pulling himself up and padding out of the den. She was making her way up to Snowstar's den. Most cats wouldn't dare wake the leader but at the moment, Silverleaf had no such reservation.

Sunpaw's whiskers twitched in curiosity. What had Silverleaf meant when she said 'greatest prey'? After a moment of hesitation, Sunpaw ran after them, pulling a small chaffinch over to the bottom of the Rock-ledge. He moved his large ears as far back as he could and concentrated as best he could without looking like he had a bellyache.

A chill of excitement sparked in his chest as he picked up low murmurs from the den two fox-lengths above him.

"You're sure it was a prophecy?" The troubled murmur was his leader's.

"Yes, I was organizing the cat-mint when it shriveled into leaf-mold and I saw a great LeopardClan cat with starry golden fur locked in battle with a stout but strong white cat with spots and pointed ears. I've never heard legends of such a fearsome and strange wild-cat! It had barely a tail at all." Silverleaf's voice trembled. "It's pelt was cloaked in Darkness and covered in old blood-stench!"

Snowstar was silent for a moment. "Are you sure it wasn't the catmint?"

"I heard the voices of StarClan!" She yowled back. "They said ' _Beware the battle of the Great Cats. LeopardClan fights for the stars while their mighty foe hunts their greatest prey.'_ But what does the mighty LeopardClan have to do with us?"

Sunpaw felt his heart thump loudly in his chest. What did her words mean? He could almost see the two powerful cats clashing front of him. He scuttled up and back to the Elder's Den empty-pawed when Silverleaf and Snowstar reappeared from the den, forgetting his untouched chaffinch on the ground.

* * *

 **Let me know what you think!**


	5. Leaders of Clan

CHAPTER 5

Three suns had passed since Silverleaf's prophecy and a quarter-moon since he had become an apprentice. Sunpaw had tucked the frightening situation to the back of his mind, focusing all his time and strength into his training. Today was his first real hunt, where he wouldn't fail to catch prey to feed the Clan. Boldstripe hung back several fox-lengths as Sunpaw tried to scent the air. All he could smell was forest and Boldstripe.

Before he became more irritated, he heard scuttling a fox-length, scraping against a few fallen leaves. Carefully, he lifted a paw, shifting his weight so he could adjust he low crouch. He didn't dare breathe to heavily. It was easy to scent the mouse now but it was his ears that pinpointed its location. Sunpaw pushed himself forward with his backlegs, slamming both paws onto the gray creature. It didn't have the chance to squeak. Sunpaw scrabbled back into a standing position, prey in mouth, eyes glittering.

XxX

Sunpaw walked into camp, head held high, holding two mice by their tails. He saw Blossompaw and Adderpaw sharing tongues across the clearing and gently wagged his tail, carefully placing his kills in the pile before trotting over to the two cats.

"You caught your first prey!" Adderpaw purred. He had made his first catch the day before. "And with good timing, too."

"What do you mean?" Sunpaw tilted his head in confusion.

"It's the Gathering tonight," Blossompaw explained. "The moon is at its fullest." Sunpaw's whiskers twitched with excitement. He'd finally be able to meet the other Clan cats.

"Don't get too excited," Blossompaw back-pedaled hastily. "Not every cat is allowed to go and usually it's the newest apprentices who are left behind."

"Oh," Sunpaw's tail drooped and he felt a prickle of annoyance. Would he able to go? If Snowstar wanted to show the strength of his Clan, he wouldn't bring a lanky cat who had just turned six moons. Snowstar yowled, bringing the cats out below the Rock-ledge. "Joining me will be Boldstripe, Silverleaf, Smokepelt, Whitetail, Smalltail, Littlefoot, Badgerpaw, Rosepaw, Blossompaw and Adderpaw." Frustration cut through him again and he kneaded the ground.

"Sunpaw, you're coming too. A deputy's apprentice is extended that right." Boldstripe mewed, walking over to the entrance. Sunpaw was relieved but couldn't resist a trickle of guilt. Other cats with much more experience like Lightningstorm and Sparrowpaw where going to left behind. But when he was Oakfur staring unhappily at the chosen cats, the feeling faded.

 _Being born a kittypet had made everything more difficult for me, getting this privilege doesn't make me spoiled._ He finally decided, bounded towards Adderpaw who was ducking under Smalltail's tongue.

"Congratulations, you two! Snowstar must be pleased with your training if you're coming! Just remember not to be too chatty about SolarClan things!" Smalltail trotted away to say goodbye to Redfern, who had just moved to the nursery.

Adderpaw huffed beside Sunpaw. "Why would I want to talk to the other Clans? From what I've scented at the borders, they're all carrion-breath!"

Sunpaw hesitantly agreed. He didn't understand why he should to other Clans if they were as aggressive as they sounded. Wouldn't he have to fight them eventually Still, he wanted to see what the other cats looked like.

Snowstar yowled again and charged from the camp, his warriors following loyally. The cats raced across the rocky terrain, following the river to the Moon-Marsh where the scents of dozens of cats mingled. The SolarClan cats waded through the water, ears pressed back in discomfort as it wet their bellyful. Sunpaw found that his paws only barely touched the rocky riverbed but that the cool water felt nice streaming across his short fur. From Adderpaw's disgusted expression when they had crossed, he didn't feel the same way.

Badgerpaw, Rosepaw and Blossompaw came over to them and beckoned them along. The two new apprentices slunk after them, wary from all the new sights and sounds. Finally, they joined a thong of apprentices with dense, shiny fur and big paws. MistClan, he realized from the scent. There were also a few compact, dark-furred casts that must have come from NightClan.

Curious eyes flicked toward him as he joined them. "Look at those ears!" A ginger tabby with a long tail and thick collar-fur laughed. He smelled of MistClan. Sunpaw felt the fur along his spine prickle but he forced himself to stay still.

"I don't know of any cats with spots like that. Where did he come from?" A sleek tan cat replied next to him.

Badgerpaw quickly distracted everyone's attention. "Maybe you two need bigger ears too, if you think no one can hear you." A few laughs escaped from the NightClan cats.

The red tabby looked ready to retort when the cats around them suddenly turned their attention to the Rock-pile where Snowstar and the other cats settled.

They shared the same powerful look in their eyes and Sunpaw felt a ripple of awe run through his pelt. _These cats are Snowstar's equals…_

A silver tabby she-cat stepped forward. Badgerpaw crouched near Sunpaw and Adderpaw. "That's Coldstar, she leads MistClan." Sunpaw was surprised. He had expected MistClan's leader to be ruthless or battle-torn since they were SolarClan's biggest threat.

"As always, the river runs well. We have two new kits, Briarkit and Stumpykit. That is all I'll say for the moment." Coldstar finished sternly. Something less than her calm exterior glinted in her eyes.

Next, a heavy-set brown tabby came forward. "Thornstar, he's NightClan." Badgerpaw whispered next to him.

"NightClan is doing well too. Our apprentices are getting stronger every day. And just recently," the cat's brown eyes narrowed, "we caused some rats from our territory."

A surprising reaction sprung from the MoorClan cats. That was when Sunpaw realized the rats were MoorClan cats.

 _They invaded their territory?_ Sunpaw thought in confusion.

Coldstar let out a light purr. "We seem to have encountered the same rats on our border as well. Nosing their way past our scent-markers by a fox length and laying their own carrion scent over ours."

Thornstar's whiskers twitched in amusement before an angry dusty cream cat with long legs some up. "MoorClan does not have your plentiful rivers or your rich forests. Prey is scare and swift and while we are well-fed now, leaf-fall approaches. We need to expand, whether or not you approve."

Coldstar's eyes narrowed. "It was cowardly to creep into our territory after our patrol had passed instead of fight. The land you have stolen will be taken back doubly!" She hissed.

Snowstar, the only uninvolved leader, stepped in. "The Gathering is a time of peace. How you settle your dispute is your choice but StarClan doesn't approve. Look at the moon." Every cat looked up at the moon in surprise. It was barley visible underneath thick clouds. "StarClan is telling us to finish the Gathering. Since things are doing well in SolarClan, there is nothing left to discuss." Snowstar finished, making his way down the Great-pile and toward SolarClan territory. Sunpaw had to admire his leader's authority as the other leaders made their way towards the cats he assumed were their deputies.

 _Or was it StarClan's power?_ For the first time in many suns, Sunpaw was reminded of Silverleaf's prophecy. Had he really witnessed the divine intervention of the Clan cat's ancestors or had Silverleaf been dreaming somehow? And if StarClan was real, what happened to kittypets? Where do they stay? _I hope StarClan cats don't walk among us like ghosts,_ Sunpaw couldn't help but think. He remembered being a burden during the attack on camp and freezing up with the deer. _I hope they're not watching me._

* * *

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	6. Warriors

_Chapter 6_

* * *

Half a moon passed and Sunpaw's kit fur grew thick and sleek and lean muscles started to develop from his daily training. He found he was becoming a sharp hunter with a very precise pounce.

Adderpaw, who was growing bigger and stronger every day made an impressive shape next to him.

"Scent anything?" Sunpaw asked his bigger friend.

"No, I'm going to head to Yellow-stones, see if any prey is sunning. Don't goof off—Boldstripe ought to watching by now."

"Goof off? Never," Sunpaw feigned hurt.

"You played in a puddle during that last hunting patrol, you kit."

"Whatever," Sunpaw said as his friend ran off. He padded away from the densest portion of the forest. He found he preferred more room to catch prey.

Within moments, Sunpaw located a sparrow. He readied his muscles and flicked his ear nervously. He readied his muscles, ready to spring when the bird took flight. Sunpaw watched it rise into the air with wide eyes.

 _Adjust! Adjust your position!_ The spotted cat leapt up straight in the air and felt a satisfying thud as both his paws closed around the bird. He pulled it down with him, getting ready to finish it off, but there was no need, the weight of his paws on it's back when they landed had snapped its spine. Sunpaw silently buried his catch to bring it to camp later.

As he worked his way from he crunchy leaves of leaf-fall and spotted a large squirrel holding onto the truck of an oak many tail-lengths out of his reach. Even though he could climb well, there was no way his heavier body could out-pace the squirrel. With an irritated hiss, he continued on.

It was almost sundown when he realized he had journeyed over to the Slither-Den, a rock with many small runnels that snakes lived and hunted at. In the colder weather, none of the snakes were out but he was about to back away when he spotted a mouse making it's way carefully across the rocks.

 _Such a stupid mouse would be an easy target,_ Sunpaw decided, licking his lips. He had made it a couple of tail-lengths away when an adder struck over, grabbing the mouse's flank with its poisonous gangs. Anger filled Sunpaw as he saw his prey stolen from him. Adders shouldn't have been out at sundown and especially not with the damp chill in the air.

Sunpaw hissed sharply at the snake, knowing he was being mouse-brained. The snake shook viciously, dislodging the mouse from its fangs. There was no chance of it getting away—it was already dying. The adder hissed back at Sunpaw in a similar manner.

"I'm going to eat you instead," Sunpaw told the snake. It flicked out its strange tongue tauntingly. The apprentice brought his paw up and stuck the snake on its head, pulling back as it struck out at him. He knew it was stubborn and stupid to fight a snake, especially when its poison might be enough to kill a young cat like himself but somehow it felt natural and he knew he wouldn't get bitten if he was careful and patient.

He struck the adder's head again and it lashed out near his flank. Sunpaw found himself glad heh didn't have long tail to mind. He continued to tire it out, pick it up by the head and shaking it viciously before releasing it. After repeating this one more time, the snake's eyes went glassy.

Sunpaw didn't know if it was safe to bring the poisoned mouse so he padded away towards his stores, dragging along his catch.

XxX

Adderpaw sat grooming next to an impressive pile of mice and voles. The yellow-stones seemed to be a good call. Sparrowpaw had caught a couple thrushes and a squirrel. Both gaped as Sunpaw emerged, struggling to carry a vole and the adder, dropped them and returned with a mouse in his jaws and nudging the bird he had caught his his nose.

Adderpaw purred in amusement and went to help his friend. Boldstripe appeared behind them. surprising Sunpaw so badly he jumped—he hadn't noticed his mentor's presence at all. Boldstripe's whiskers twitched in amusement. "Good catches, all of you, I'll have good things to report back to your mentors and Snowstar when we return and your fresh-kill will feed the Clan well tonight. Sparrowpaw, I know you've been juggled around since Ferneye's death but you were swift and quiet. Just be a little more confidence and that shrew would not have escaped your claws.

"Adderpaw, you showed good judgement in choosing the Yellow-stones and it paid off well. You're shaping up to be as strong and smart as your father." Adderpaw purred and Boldstripe turned to Sunpaw. "You did well too, Sunpaw. You caught a bird a fox-length above the ground and I'm ashamed to say I was sure you wouldn't. However, you risked injury going after that adder when you may have found prey elsewhere in time to meet back here. Unnecessary risks put our Clan in danger, it depends on your being fit. That said, you exercised a level of caution and patience hunting the snake and you killed it in a manner I had never seen."

Sunpaw flicked his ear in satisfaction. So he had managed to impress his mentor after all.

"Because of that, I will only subject you to one day of caring for the elders and nursery." Boldstripe finished. Sunpaw was shocked. He hadn't been hurt though, Boldstripe was punishing him for something that never happened! But he dipped his head, accepting the fact that he'd have to spend the whole day listening to Smokepelt tell him how he should you back to live with his Twolegs. "Yes, Boldstripe." He sighed.

"Go on bak to camp, all of you and get something to eat, I'll carry the rest of the prey back."

XxX

"Can you even eat that?" Rosepaw asked, prodding the dead snake, nose crinkled in disgust.

"Yes, of course you can. I think." Sunpaw mewed, eyeing his catch.

No one spoke for a second before Adderpaw pitched in. "I dare you."

"Help me collect moss tomorrow and I'll do it."

"Deal." Adderpaw said as Sparrowpaw looked on from being him anxiously. Sunpaw hesitantly sniffed the adder and tore of a chunk of its side. The snake scales had a strange texture but it was no worse than fur. The meat was lean muscle with no fat.

"It's not bad," he said finally.

"No way, it smells gross," Rosepaw whined.

"No, it's good," Sunpaw took another bite this time more heartily.

"Ew!" Blossompaw backed away. "You're so weird!"

"Well if you like it so much maybe you should be named Adderpaw," Adderpaw meowed.

"Too bad you don't look like a Sunpaw or we could've switched," Sunpaw retorted. "You're not gonna help me collect that moss anymore, are you?"

* * *

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	7. First Battle

_Chapter 7_

* * *

Sunpaw cracked ticks along Gyrofoot's spine as he recalled a story from the earliest Clan suns. "The first leader of SolarClan was a kittypet with a bright ginger pelt and bright yellow eyes. He stood high above other cats and his name was Solaris. At this time, it is said that even StarClan did not exist. His mate, Bright was killed by a fox while they were collecting cats to join them in the large forest.

"They say that she put the first star in the sky. And she led his paws in his dreams and watched over him every day for she was very lonely, one bright star by herself in the night sky. Cats followed Solaris because he was a great leader but eventually their group split into two, the first becoming SolarClan because the sun rose on their side of the forest and for Solaris. The second group became NightClan—where the sun sets.

"Many moons later, a weary group of cats came and SolarClan and NightClan gladly shared hunting grounds, for there was more than enough. Those cats had come from a body of water and swam well. They named themselves MistClan.

"Finally, when Solaris found a new mate, Willowheart and had kits, the three leaders went to Lunar-Vines and received nine lives. Solaris took the name Solarstar, Ferra of NightClan became Feralstar and Ripple of MistClan became Ripplestar. That was when a group of loners found sanctuary in the moors and slowly gained interest in the warrior code. MoorClan formed and Leap became Leapstar.

"Solarstar lived to be a very old cat, he led long past the death of Willowheart and their kits, Brighteyes and Otterclaw. Finally, his last life was taken by fire. His deputy, Whitefang took over the clan but Solarstar was not forgotten, Willowpelt and Bright led him to StarClan and he lives on as the sun."

Sunpaw realized he had stopped cracking fleas and was listening with rapt attention. He had never thought about the founding of the Clan. He felt a small trickle of belief in StarClan through the exhilaration of the wise cat's tale. "Was I named after him?" Sunpaw asked eagerly.

Gyrofoot thought for a moment. "I've entertained the same thought, young apprentice. It certainly seems so—there are certain parallels in your lives don't you think?" He shot Sunpaw a meaningful glance.

Sunpaw wasn't upset when Gyrofoot referenced his kittypet life, he didn't seem to judge him on it. "And did Whitestar lead the clan well?" He asked, still very interested in the story. Smokepelt, who was curled up on the other side of the den snorted disdainfully.

"Yes, she did. But she lost her last three lives all at once to the NightClan leader, who had forgotten his roots. Frozenstar led next, died in time and Redstar took his place. After his seasons passed, Earthstar led and after him, his daughter Moss-star. Moss-star was betrayed by her own deputy in her last life, and so another cat had to step in. That was how Snowstorm came to lead SolarClan."

XxX

That night, Sunpaw's mind floated through dreams of the first Clan leader, Snowstar and NightClan and finally woke when Blossompaw prodded him awake.

"Dawn patrol," she whispered, energy already filling her bright blue eyes and dark face.

Sunpaw and Blossompaw padded out to join Eagleclaw, Boldstripe and Sparrowpaw. He was surprised to see what a large patrol was going. It was usually no more than four cats, three if they were all warriors. They all headed off, jumping off the rock plateau of their camp onto the grass.

Walking next to Blossompaw, he realized even though she was nearly four moons older, he was barely a claw-length shorter than the gentle apprentice, although he had large ears to add extra height. Batting a falling leaf, she remarked, "Leaf-fall is coming faster this year. That's what Mooncloud told me, at least—I was too young to remember last time. I hope this year's not a hard leaf-bare too." Her eyes looked troubled for a moment.

"All the prey doesn't die, does it?" Sunpaw asked, surprised.

"No but they hide in their dens and sleep for moons sometimes and cats get very hungry. And with hunger comes cold and sickness and that's when…" Blossompaw trailed off.

 _That's when cats die,_ Sunpaw thought, wishing he'd treasured greenleaf more.

"Yes, but this leaf-bare will be different—I've been training to find burrows and I can climb trees to snatch squirrels from their very nests if I have too!"

Eagleclaw stopped suddenly in front of Sunpaw, tail up in warning. The sound of the river was not far off. "MistClan cats." He hissed. "At least five."

Boldstripe spun back around toward the apprentices and his sharp eyes flickered from Sunpaw to Sparrowpaw. "Sparrowpaw."

"Yes, Boldstripe?"

"Go alert the Clan—bring warriors."

Another cat would've argued. Sunpaw certainly would have—but the small molted brown apprentice was humble, brave and code-abiding and in the time it took to turn to face him, his tail had disappeared behind thick gorse.

"Sunpaw, this is your first battle, you've trained but I've never struck a blow against you. You might be in pain but keep fighting…or call for me."

That's all he could say before a patrol of MistClan cats came from the underbrush, pelts pull with river water. A gray tom charged at Blossompaw, who was at his side and when he went to pull him off, he felt some cat pulling his tail. Frantically, he spun around with a snarl, digging his claws into the cat's rugged shoulders. The MistClan warrior used a front paw blow across his face, stunning Sunpaw and causing him to stumble. Angered, he let out a sharp hiss that startled the tom—it was loud and sounded like an angry snake. Around him, a couple other cats glanced over in surprise before continuing to fight.

Sunpaw was too fired up to notice. "Get off SolarClan territory!" He warned, arching his back above his head so he was closer to the tom's size. The warrior's eyes betrayed fright and Sunpaw tested him again with another hiss. His enemy took a step back and Sunpaw saw his chance to spring onto his back as he would a rabbit, he sunk his large fangs into the cat's shoulder and the cat yowled and bucked underneath him. Just when he thought his victory was ensured, jaws grabbed his hind leg tightly and dragged him off the other cat as he struggled out of Sunpaw's paw-hold. The attacking cat pulled him, flipping him onto his back and Sunpaw thrashed wildly as he felt the red cat's teeth sink deeper into his leg.

Sunpaw realized he knew this cat—it was the striped ginger cat who had made fun of him during the Gathering!

"Ears-cat!" Sunpaw gasped, momentarily stopping his struggle. A flash of recognition showered in the apprentice's eyes. Sunpaw pulled his body up and struck his head with both paws. His back foreleg was wrenched painfully from Ears-cat's teeth, causing spots to float around his vision. Without thinking, he pulled himself back onto his paws. When his sight cleared, he saw the cat had waited for him.

"Don't call me Ears-cat—it's Vicepaw."

"I'm Sunpaw," Sunpaw heard himself say, crouching low to the ground, avoiding putting weight on his wounded back leg, "And I'm sorry but you can't stay." Sunpaw swiped out a foreleg, knocking one of Vicepaw's legs from under him and head-butting the side of his neck. He felt claws rake across his ear when he was unable to back up quickly enough.

 _Mousedung, I can't move around on this leg!_ He realized as he felt blood drip down his paw pad. Slowly, the clearing was emptying around him. He saw Blossompaw bolt into another cat, knocking him away from her mentor. Sunpaw secured a couple claws into Vicepaw's side just as a yowl sounded. _SolarClan cats!_ Sunpaw thought, relieved, as he picked up the familiar scent. Snowstar, Whitetail, Lightningstorm, Adderpaw and Sparrowpaw ran into the clearing slashing with their claws enough to create panic within the MistClan ranks, who were now severely out-numbered. They hadn't counted on a cat slipping away to warn the others. Snowstar signaled for the warriors to stop as the MistClan cats, including Vicepaw, ran across the rocky shore into the chilled water.

Sunpaw didn't take his eyes off the cats until they pulled themselves out of the water and hurried further into their own territory.

"Sunpaw?" Adderpaw's eyes were round like the moon—this had been his first battle too, luckily, he only had a shallow scratch on his shoulder.

"Yes?" Sunpaw responded.

"Are you okay to walk back to camp?" He asked tentatively. Sunpaw looked around, the recently arrived cats were sniffing their clanmates and slowly filing back towards camp. No one seemed to be badly injured, as expected, Boldstripe and Eagleclaw were the two best fighters in the clan, next to Snowstar, he had been told. And Blossompaw was sweet-natured but determined and very strong.

Sunpaw pushed away his distraction and answered Adderpaw's question. "Yeah, I'm fine, it was just a border-skirmish—" Everything went blurry for a moment when Sunpaw took a couple steps forward and he felt vaguely nauseous.

Adderpaw's ears flattened anxiously. "Your leg is a mess. Silverleaf isn't going to be happy." He said, nudging his friend's shoulder.

Boldstripe approached the two of them, sporting a collection of shallow wounds but nothing bled heavily beneath his dense, striped coat.

"Adderpaw's right to be worried, that apprentice certainly didn't hold anything back. Adderpaw, just walk slowly with him, don't worry about catching up. I need to watch the border to make sure MistClan doesn't come running back with new warriors now that we've been wounded." Something flashed in his mentor's eyes. "Bring him straight to the Medicine Den, just in case."

Adderpaw and Sunpaw nodded and his black and white friend pressed his body to Sunpaw's bad side and they carefully made their way back into camp. And Adderpaw tried not to notice the blood trail his friend was leaving.

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 **please please _please_ review**


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